Tank gauge



Dec. 22 v1925- R. A. WYATT TANK GAUGE Filed April 13, 1925 mllmlmgwk Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

NITED STATES ROBERT A. WYATT, 0F PARKEBSBUEG, VT VIRGINIA.

TANK GAUGE.

Application filed. April 13, 1925. Serial No. 22,794.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known thatl, ROBERT A. l/VYATT, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Parkersburg, in the county of Wood and State of West Tvlirginia, have invented a new and useful Tank Gauge, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to a gauge designed primarily for use upon the Water tank or tender of a railway locomotive.

Under present conditions it is not possible to determine the amount of Water Within the tank or tender of the locomotive With out climbing to the top of the tank and inspecting the interior thereof from this precarious position. It is very o'lteu the case that an unnecessary number ot stops are made during a trip, for the purpose of taking on Water and While thisl delays the progress ot the train and also adds considerably to the cost of operation it is the practice to make the stops rather than subject the ireman to the dangerous feat of climbing onto the tank While the locomotive is in motion and inspect-ing the contents. yIt has not been feasible to place on thel tank an ordinary gauge glass such as commonly supported outside of boilers for indicating Water levels, because it is contrary to regulations to have any parts projecting more than a slight predetermined distance beyond the tank. Such a gauge glass has also been objectionable because it is likely to be broken or torn oiin by objects brought violently into contact therewith.

Tt is an object ot the present invention to provide a locomotive `boiler or tender with a gauge Which can be built thereinto, presents no projecting parts of an objectionable nature, has no portions liable to become accidentally broken, and provides a means whereby the engineer can easily determine,

Without leaving his position, the amount 0f Water contained Within the tank.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view Which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ot parts and in the details of construction herein described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made Within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying .drawings the preferred form ot the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation ot a portion of the Wall of a tank or tender with which is assembled a gauge such as constitutes the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2, Figure 1, the middle portion of the structure being broken away.

*igure 3 is a section on line 3 3 Figure 2.

Referring to the igures by characters of reference 1 designates a wall ota locomotive tank or tender, this being riveted in the usual manner to the top 2 and bottom 3 of the tank. The wall 1 is provided with a substantially vertical slot 4 extending to points close to the bottom and top ot the tank. Fitted against this slotted wall is an elongated casting or the like constituting the body 5 of the gauge. This body is litted snugly against the top and bottom ot the tank as Well as to the slotted Wall and it is attached to said slotted Wall by means of. rivets 6. Ears or flanges 7 are extended from the ends of the body and are riveted or otherwise `fastened to the top and bottom respectively of the tank.

Formed in that face ot the body 5 nearest the slotted Wall 1 is a recess 8 adapted to be exposed through the slot 4t and having its Walls spaced from the Walls ot the slot so that portions of the body 5 will thus be exposed and form a continuous shoulder extending around recess 8 and up to the Wall of the slot 4. This shoulder has been indicated at 9. A slot 10 is provided in the inner Wall of the recess and extends longitudinally thereof, the length and Width ot this slot being such that the inner Wall of recess 8 forms a narrow shoulder 11 extending around the slot. The body can be reinforced adjacent the slot by thickening it as shown at 12.

A glass plate 13 of suitable strength is fitted snugly Within the recess 8, there being a packing 14 of asbestos or the like interposed between the marginal portion of this plate and the shoulder 11. The margin of the outer surface of the plate is also engaged by a continuous packing strip 15 like- Wise of asbestos or the like. The back or in ner face of plate 13 is recessed longitudinally as shown at 1.6 and is formed with longifil tudinally extending prismatic ribs 1l"Y producing an o-ptic which is readily visible through the glass Where exposed in the slot 4.

F or the purpose of holding the glass firm? ly in place, there is provided va retaining plate 18 adapted to lit Within the slot e and to be attached to the body 5 by screws 19 or the like. This plate has a longitudinal slot 20 through which the glass 13 is ex* posed. Suitable graduations y21 designating units of 4measure can be provided along the slot. i

The gauge herein described is preferably placed in that Wall ofthe tank or tender nearest the locomotive and at la point Where it can be seen readily by the engineer. It is tobe understood, however, that it can be situated at anyvother place desired. By using the prismatic glass the level of the fviz/ateiq back of the glass can he seen at any time and thus itis unneccssary'to climb onto the tender to examine the contents thereof. When the engineer approaches a Water tank he can readily determine, by glancing at the gauge, Whether it is necessary to stop or Whether he has suliicient Water to carry him to the next tank. Consequently a considerable saving of time and expense is Veffected inthe operation: of trains.' It will beseen that the`device no objectionable projecting parts, that! the glass' is fully protected at all times, and that by simply removing plate 18 itis possible to obtain ac" cess to" 'the' glass for anypurpose.

. It mightbe stated 'that'one objection to the useof ordinary Water gauges utilizing glasstubes has been the tendency thereof to clog because of the sediment and] other foreign matter vmixed with the Water 1n the tank. By providing a gauge such as herein described, it :makes no difference how clear thea-Vater may be. The' level of the Water is always visible and the back or inner face of the yglass is'kept clean by the constant Wash Aof the Water thereagainst While the locomotive is in motion.

AYWhat is claimed is:

1. The combination With a tank having a.

substantially vertical slot in the Wall thereof extending close to the bottomof the tank, of a gauge body secured Within the tank and having an elongated recess smaller than the slot and extending longitudinally thereof, there being an elongated slot inthe body extending longitudinally of the recess but smaller than the same, a glass plate seated in the recess and having a prismatic inner surface exposed through the slot in the Wall, and means secured to the body for retaining said plate Within therecess and accessible from outside thel tank.

2. The combination y'With a tank having a substantially vertical slot in the Wall thereof Yextending close to the bottom of the tank, of a gauge including a body cured in the tank and having an elongated recess exposed Within the slot, there being an elongated slot in the inner Wall of the recess, a glass plate mounted in the recess and having a prismatic inner surface, and meansl seated in the slot in the Wall and secured to the body for retaining the glass in the recess.

3. The combination With a locomotive tend-Y er or Water tank, of a vWater gauge housed Within the tank4 and includinga prismatic glass' supported substantially vertically and extended' close to the bottom of the tank, there being a slot Within the Wall of the tank through whichv the glass is exposed and meansv accessible outside of the tank for fastening the glass in position.

'4. The' combination with a locomotive lrender or Water tank, of a Water gauge housed in the tank and secured to one Wall thereof, said gauge including a recessed body, aglass seated in the recess, there being an elongated slot in the body back of the glass and a slotin the tank Wall through which the glass is exposed, and means accessible outside of the tank for holding the glass in the recess.

In testimony that I claim the yforegoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

ROBERT A. Wifi-rrr. 

